Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) Retrofit

[pow216]

Moderator comment - thread renamed for clarity from "Boombox Retrofit"

Tesla plans to retrofit its pedestrian warning system in older vehicles

Tesla is reportedly planning to retrofit its Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) into older Model 3s and Model Ys that were built between specific dates. For those who aren’t aware, Tesla was required to create and install a PWS in its vehicles due to an NHTSA mandate that set requirements for...

www.teslarati.com

 

[KennethS]

Just for science I booked a Tesla Service asking if this was possible and received this response: "Unfortunately, a retrofit of the pedestrian warning speaker is not available outside of North America at this time. Apologies for any in convenience."

 

[OfficialMark_H]

Just for science I booked a Tesla Service asking if this was possible and received this response: "Unfortunately, a retrofit of the pedestrian warning speaker is not available outside of North America at this time. Apologies for any in convenience."

When did you try and book this?

 

[KennethS]

When did you try and book this?

I saw the Teslarati article Friday evening (30/4) and booked a service late that night through the Tesla app asking if a retrofit was available. Received the text message yesterday quoted above.

 

[OfficialMark_H]

I saw the Teslarati article Friday evening (30/4) and booked a service late that night through the Tesla app asking if a retrofit was available. Received the text message yesterday quoted above.

Ahh, ok, I booked a service appointment first thing this morning and quoted the TS code, I haven’t yet had a response but I’m guessing it’s going to be the same as yours.

 

[Durzel]

Even if you had the PWS enabled that wouldn’t necessarily mean you’d get Boombox activated. It is a separate configuration option (as it’s not legal in all territories, e.g. Germany)

 

[GRiLLA]

Tesla don't yet have any version of software compatible with UK and EU requirements for Pedestrian Warning Speakers, but as they will be required on new Models after June this year it'll be coming. Whether they then allow retrofit who knows, but it's a good idea they can in the US. The regulations are more specific than the US, it needs to sound more like a car and react to acceleration, no coconut horseshoes here.

Also, as per another thread it's highly unlikely to be the Boombox experience from the US, there are specific UK regulations that restrict any car being fitted with anything other than standard, single tone horns.

 

[KennethS]

I was primarily interested in the PWS sounds (Boombox doesn't really appeal to me). We do the daily school run to a crowded parking lot and at times the silence of the Tesla does worry me (obviously we are extra careful in parking lots and when young children are in the mix). I'm in two minds about the TWS sounds and might find them embarrassing in more situations than not. But I figured if Tesla can install the speaker and activate the TWS feature in the software, it's easy enough to later unplug the speaker if I find, on balance, that it is more annoying than helpful.

 

[Neilman]

Thinking out loud...
I wonder if, when the PWS becomes a requirement post June, whether it then becomes an MOT item?
Bit like fog lights on some SR+'s - if they're fitted then they must work and will fail MOT if fitted and don't work.

So, TM3 without PWS is ok and a TM3 with PWS installed and workable will pass the MOT.
If they're installed, i.e. with speaker cone in place, but not working (unplugged?) will that then become MOT failure and an accident insurance nightmare especially if said accident involves pedestrians?

Just wondering if you get PWS installed but then don't like it and choose to unplug it does it become a legal problem?

Perhaps both unplugging and physically removing the PWS speaker will do the (legal) trick?

 

[M3noob]

I was primarily interested in the PWS sounds (Boombox doesn't really appeal to me). We do the daily school run to a crowded parking lot and at times the silence of the Tesla does worry me (obviously we are extra careful in parking lots and when young children are in the mix). I'm in two minds about the TWS sounds and might find them embarrassing in more situations than not. But I figured if Tesla can install the speaker and activate the TWS feature in the software, it's easy enough to later unplug the speaker if I find, on balance, that it is more annoying than helpful.

Just roll the windows down and play Highway to Hell

 

[Durzel]

Thinking out loud...
I wonder if, when the PWS becomes a requirement post June, whether it then becomes an MOT item?
Bit like fog lights on some SR+'s - if they're fitted then they must work and will fail MOT if fitted and don't work.

So, TM3 without PWS is ok and a TM3 with PWS installed and workable will pass the MOT.
If they're installed, i.e. with speaker cone in place, but not working (unplugged?) will that then become MOT failure and an accident insurance nightmare especially if said accident involves pedestrians?

Just wondering if you get PWS installed but then don't like it and choose to unplug it does it become a legal problem?

Perhaps both unplugging and physically removing the PWS speaker will do the (legal) trick?

I’m not sure it would be possible for a MOT tester to check that it has a speaker installed, since you can only see the grill anyway.

I wonder whether people looking to get this fired have thought about good old UK weather. The speaker attaches to the undertray, and there is a grill (obviously). I wonder how long it’s going to last with typical UK weather, deep puddles etc.

 

[SpareHeadOne]

Tesla don't yet have any version of software compatible with UK and EU requirements for Pedestrian Warning Speakers, but as they will be required on new Models after June this year it'll be coming. Whether they then allow retrofit who knows, but it's a good idea they can in the US. The regulations are more specific than the US, it needs to sound more like a car and react to acceleration, no coconut horseshoes here.

Also, as per another thread it's highly unlikely to be the Boombox experience from the US, there are specific UK regulations that restrict any car being fitted with anything other than standard, single tone horns.

I expect it'll be in place soon, any undelivered inventory sold as new will have to have it from 1st July, I sort of expect that deliveries arriving this quarter will have the speaker fitted at least, but if not then that will likely be the trigger for a more general retrofit to become available.

We should probably get into the habit of calling it AVAS (acoustic vehicle alerting system) rather than PWS because that's the term used in Europe by the regulations.

 

[Adopado]

Perhaps both unplugging and physically removing the PWS speaker will do the (legal) trick?

AFAIK there is no physical speaker present on UK cars.

 

[Durzel]

I expect it'll be in place soon, any undelivered inventory sold as new will have to have it from 1st July, I sort of expect that deliveries arriving this quarter will have the speaker fitted at least, but if not then that will likely be the trigger for a more general retrofit to become available.

We should probably get into the habit of calling it AVAS (acoustic vehicle alerting system) rather than PWS because that's the term used in Europe by the regulations.

If the latest cars are delivered Q2 end, which seems likely, then there’s no reason to assume that they’ll have the PWS speaker fitted. More likely I’d say is Q3 on cars.

 

[Neilman]

AFAIK there is no physical speaker present on UK cars.

True but...
My comments were based on @KennethS suggestion of possibly getting the speaker retrofitted *then* changing your mind about using it.
So, in this case the speaker would have been fitted and enabled but is now disabled by the user by just unplugging the speaker.
In this case the facility *was* enabled and would be complete, bar the now pulled wire plugs on the speaker.
Would this now become a "defective" PWS in the eyes of "Mr Plod" and your insurers in the event of a pedestrian related incident?

 

[Mr H]

True but...
My comments were based on @KennethS suggestion of possibly getting the speaker retrofitted *then* changing your mind about using it.
So, in this case the speaker would have been fitted and enabled but is now disabled by the user by just unplugging the speaker.
In this case the facility *was* enabled and would be complete, bar the now pulled wire plugs on the speaker.
Would this now become a "defective" PWS in the eyes of "Mr Plod" and your insurers in the event of a pedestrian related incident?

Unless they can prove you disabled it and the wire didn't just 'come out' all by itself then i'd say that's unlikely

 

[init6]

Unless they can prove you disabled it and the wire didn't just 'come out' all by itself then i'd say that's unlikely

Pretty sure that if the wires 'just come out' by themselves on your headlights then you're still responsible.

 

[Mr H]

Pretty sure that if the wires 'just come out' by themselves on your headlights then you're still responsible.

Because the car was type approved with headlights, not, as in this scenario, a PWS fitted and then disabled by the owner as it wasn't there at the start.

 

[Durzel]

You could just remove the speaker entirely and bingo - your car is one of those interim ones where it wasn’t included.

As far as I understand the wiring is there regardless.

 

[Mr H]

You could just remove the speaker entirely and bingo - your car is one of those interim ones where it wasn’t included.

As far as I understand the wiring is there regardless.

The wiring is only there after September 2019 ish